[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 198 (Tuesday, October 13, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 64413-64414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22548]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 200227-0066; RTID 0648-XA553]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Exchange of 
Flatfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocation.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is exchanging unused rock sole Community Development 
Quota (CDQ) for yellowfin sole CDQ acceptable biological catch (ABC) 
reserves in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). 
This action is necessary to allow the 2020 total allowable catch (TAC) 
of yellowfin sole in the BSAI to be harvested.

DATES: Effective October 9, 2020 through December 31, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Whitney, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the 
BSAI according to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the 
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP) prepared by the 
North Pacific Fishery Management Council under authority of the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Regulations 
governing fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance with the FMP appear at 
subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.
    In the BSAI, the 2020 rock sole and yellowfin sole CDQ reserves are 
4,915 metric tons (mt) and 16,425 mt, respectively, as established by 
the final 2020 and 2021 harvest specifications for groundfish in the 
BSAI (85 FR 13553, March 9, 2020) and as revised (85 FR 61875, October 
1, 2020). The 2020 rock sole and yellowfin sole CDQ ABC reserves are 
11,538 mt and 11,493 mt, respectively, as established by the final 2020 
and 2021 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (85 FR 
13553,

[[Page 64414]]

March 9, 2020) and as revised (85 FR 61875, October 1, 2020).
    The Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association has 
requested that NMFS exchange 300 mt of rock sole CDQ reserves for 300 
mt of yellowfin sole CDQ ABC reserves under Sec.  679.31(d). Therefore, 
in accordance with Sec.  679.31(d), NMFS exchanges 300 mt of rock sole 
CDQ reserves for 300 mt of yellowfin sole CDQ ABC reserves in the BSAI. 
This action also decreases and increases the TACs and CDQ ABC reserves 
by the corresponding amounts. Tables 11 and 13 of the final 2020 and 
2021 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (85 FR 13553, 
March 9, 2020 and 85 FR 61875, October 1, 2020) are further revised as 
follows:

 Table 11--Final 2020 Community Development Quota (CDQ) Reserves, Incidental Catch Amounts (ICAS), and Amendment 80 Allocations of the Aleutian Islands
                                     Pacific Ocean Perch, and BSAI Flathead Sole, Rock Sole, and Yellowfin Sole Tacs
                                                              [Amounts are in metric tons]
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                                                                        Pacific ocean perch                Flathead sole     Rock sole    Yellowfin sole
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Sector                               Eastern         Central         Western
                                                             Aleutian        Aleutian        Aleutian          BSAI            BSAI            BSAI
                                                             district        district        district
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TAC.....................................................          10,613           8,094          10,000          17,845          46,705         152,800
CDQ.....................................................           1,136             866           1,070           1,962           4,615          16,725
ICA.....................................................             100              60              10           3,000           6,000           4,000
BSAI trawl limited access...............................             938             717             178  ..............  ..............          17,172
Amendment 80............................................           8,440           6,451           8,742          12,884          36,090         114,903
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Note: Sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding.


 Table 13--Final 2020 and 2021 ABC Surplus, ABC Reserves, Community Development Quota (CDQ) ABC Reserves, and Amendment 80 ABC Reserves in the BSAI for
                                                      Flathead Sole, Rock Sole, and Yellowfin Sole
                                                              [Amounts are in metric tons]
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                                                           2020 Flathead                  2020 Yellowfin     2021 \1\      2021 \1\ Rock     2021 \1\
                         Sector                                sole       2020 Rock sole       sole        Flathead sole       sole       Yellowfin sole
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ABC.....................................................          68,134         153,300         260,918          71,079         230,700         261,497
TAC.....................................................          17,845          46,655         152,830          24,000          49,000         168,900
ABC surplus.............................................          50,289         106,645         108,088          47,079         181,700          92,597
ABC reserve.............................................          50,289         106,645         108,088          47,079         181,700          92,597
CDQ ABC reserve.........................................           5,329          11,838          11,193           5,037          19,442           9,908
Amendment 80 ABC reserve................................          44,960          94,807          96,895          42,042         162,258          82,689
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\1\ The 2021 allocations for Amendment 80 species between Amendment 80 cooperatives and the Amendment 80 limited access sector will not be known until
  eligible participants apply for participation in the program by November 1, 2020.

Classification

    NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR part 679, which was 
issued pursuant to section 304(b), and is exempt from review under 
Executive Order 12866.
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive prior 
notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice 
and comment would be impracticable and contrary to the public interest, 
as it would prevent NMFS from responding to the most recent fisheries 
data in a timely fashion and would delay the flatfish exchange by the 
Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association in the BSAI. 
NMFS was unable to publish a notice providing time for public comment 
because the most recent, relevant data only became available as of 
October 1, 2020.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: October 7, 2020.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-22548 Filed 10-9-20; 8:45 am]
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